A man named William "Wells was, this day, committed to take his trial at tlie Brisbane Circuit

Court, for robbing a man named James Welch of money orders, on the 28th ult., at Ellangowan. The prisoner was armed at the time with a pair of formidable blunderbuss pistols, with spring daggers, and loaded to the muzzle, which he pre- sented at Welch when he was robbing Lim. The chief and another constable happened to be at Ellangowan the same evening-, and, on obtaining information of the robbery, they went on' the track of the prisoner, and apprehended him at Drayton next day.

There were four cases on the summons list, under the Masters and Servants Act, all of which were settled out of court ; and One, for a breach of the Assessment Act, was adjourned.

The party of the native police formerly under the command of Mr. Walker, has returned from the M'Intyre, and were at Ellangowan on the 1st instant, in charge of Lieut. Murshall, en route for the Condamine. Two or three of the, troopers are suffering from influenza, and Lieut. Marshall feared he would be obliged to leave them at El- langowan. The horses are not in as good con- dition as could be wished, owing to the severe work which they have to do, and I believe they have never thoroughly recovered from the fatigue of their overland journey from the southward. The troopers are really fine, soldierlike-looking fellows, and, from their pleasant looks and jovial bearing, one would infer that they are well treated and contented with their situation. They evidently have no small idea of their own importance. Their arrival on the Condamine at this particular juncture is most opportune, for this reason ; the bunya bunya, which enticed the blacks from all quarters, has, I believe, this year proved a dead failure, and no doubt the disappointment, and consequent dispersion, of our sable brethren would be followed by outrages on the lives and proper- ties of the lieges, which a wholesome dread of the police will prevent.

OUR RACES.-The meeting which was held at the Bull's Head Inn on the 5th inst., in accord- ance with the advertisement in the Courier, was more numerously and respectably attended than any previous meeting since the establishment of the races. Chris. Rolleston, Esquire, was in the chair, and, the funds being found in a flourishing condition, a programme of the races (of which a copy was sent to you for insertion in the Courier) was' adopted. They are to come off on the 14th, 15th, and 16th May ; this will enable the horses running at Warwick to come on to Drayton, and from hence proceed to Ipswich. As the racing prospects in these districts for 1850 aro so en- couraging, we are in hopes that some of the sporting men on the other side will bring over horses. The prizes aro worth competing for, and any number of horses could be accommodated with boxes and good hay and corn, in any of the townships, at moderate charges.

I see, in your paper of the 2nd hist., a party, signing himself "A Subscriber," lays hold of a report of mine respecting the adjudication of the Drayton Bench on the cases of three Chinese, and, without other grouuds than his own suspi- cions, has the temerity, to make accusations and assertions which aro utterly false and incredible. It would be, Mr. Editor, a Herculean task to set the public right with regard to all the misstate nients which, unluckily for the proprietors, find their way into newspapers ; but your Subscriber's letter is' of so mischievous a character, and lins such a tendency to undermine the confidence of the public in the magistrates, that I think' it due

to both that the facts of the case should bo made

known. Your, corresiiondent, after giving the report alluded to in full, goes on to say-" Here

are three foreigners brought before the Drayton I Bench, without interpreter or friend to watch over

i he proceedings on their behalf ; and, if the report I bo correct, tieso men have been severely dealt

with, as it is (clear that, if tue-eudeitce had been | read over to them, they didjñót comprehend it."

'And then lie infers that, because the justices did^

not understand Chinese, the men were condemned unheard. On the whole, it is a-very'laudable piece of virtuous indignation, if the assertions

made were true '; but, in this instance, wholly out' ' of .place, as the mun V'ho was fined for the loss of the sheep has acted ,n%interpreter since his arrival in the colony ; and, for tira information of your Subscriber, I may tell him he has twelve (instead of six) pounds a'year, and that on the trial he acted as interpreter for the others, and fully ex- plained the charges made against them. So there was no necessity for the learned pundits' (as he facetiously terms the magistrates) understanding Chinese. As for the other parts of the letter, respecting the agreements of those men, they can in no way affect the Bench. Here were charges distinctly made and, clearly proved ; and, if it is admitted that the Masters and Servants Act applies to Chinese, the magistrates had no option in acting as they did. The report may not be full enough to please your correspondent, but I never pretended to give you the particulars of those cases ; and even if I did, I imagine you would hardly insert them to the exclusion of infinitely more'interesting matter. This, however, does not justify your Subscriber in uttering such wholesale misrepresentations. The recommendation to new arrivals at the eiid.of.the letter makes me think your correspondent must be a "new chum," mis- led by " old hands" with yarns of bush justice. I cannot imagine that any old colonist would suppose for a moment that any magistrates in the colony would make such a mockery of justice as to " read evidence to men who did not understand it," or have the cruelty to " condemn them un- heard." The writer oi' the letter may possibly have had other objects in view. There are some men in Moreton Bay equally as hostile to the introduction of Chinese as exiles, and no doubt, if the assertions made by " A Subscriber" could be substantiated, or fortunately, should pass un contradicted, it might tend to raise a stronger feeling in the colony against that class of emi- grants than at present exists. Your Subscriber

should be more careful. Such rash assertions as he makes often involve very serious consequences.

STEALING BY A SERVANT.-On Tuesday, during the absence of Mr. Stewart, saddler, of North Brisbane, his hired servant, John Gough, a ticket of-leave holder by the Mountstvart Elphinstone, disposed in some way of a bridle that had been hanging up in the shop, and on being interro- gated upon the subject by Mr. Stewart, on his tettirn, stated that he hud sold it to Mr. John Balfour, of Collingtonf who was in town at the time. The bridle had been entered to the account of that gentleman by Gough. Mr. Stewart, think- ing his servant's story improbable, as the bridle, being a very common one, was not likely to suit Mr. Balfour, made inquiry, and ascertained that the statement of Gough was entirely false. The prisoner was taken into custody, and the facts proved before the Bench next day, by the evidence of Mr. Balfour and Mr. Stewart Gough declined to make any statement in his defence, and he was sentenced, under the Summary Jurisdiction Act, to be kept to hard labour, in chains, on the public works of the colony, for twelve calender months.

DISCHARGE raoii BAIL.-Thomas Macdermott, «ho had been committed for trial by the Brisbane Bench, on a charge of indecently assaulting a child ; and who had bpcn subsequently allowed bail, was on Tuesday last brought before the Bench, and discharged from his recognizances ; the Attomey-Gtneral having declined to file a bili against him, as the evidence was not considered sufficient to warrant a prosecution.

ROBBERIES -On Monday last, between about one and ten o'clock v M, the sum of £13, in cash and orders, was stolen from a box in the bedroom of Mr. Paterson, of the Caledonian Hotel, North Brisbane. It appears .that the thief must have opened an outer door'and the door of Mr. Pater son's room, the keys being in the locks at the time. The keys of Mr. Paterson's box were se- creted, but found by the intruder, and the box unlocked therewith. No clue to the oUèndcr has

yet been found.-On Tuesday, during a sale at the store of Mr. J. H. Asher, of North Brisbane, a gold watch and chain, worth £20, and a cash box containing coin and orders to the amount of about £25 more, were stolen from a box in Mr. Ashei's bedroom, the door of which was, some- what incautiously, left open, while a number of persons were in the adjoining room, attending the

sale. The box was not locked at the time. In

this, as in the former case, the police have not yet traced the property.* "

THE' SURVEV DEPARTMENT.-On Wednesday

Mr. J. C. Burnett, well known in these districts as a most indefatigable officer of the Survey de- partment, left Brisbane to return to his profes- sional duties at Darling Downs. Fur some weeks past Mr. Burin-It had been on leave of absence, rendered necessary by a protracted illness, brought on hy continued rxposuie to inclement weather, and severe physical exertion in the performance of his duties. We rejoice to add that he has quite recovered his health. Mr. Burnett will be detained on the Downs until the ai rival of Mr. Dalzell, the commissioner for deciding disputes with regald to boundaries, some few matters of that kind having to be arranged between the'graziers in the Downs country. When that business is settled, Mr. Bur- nett will proceed with his party to Wide Bay, for the purpose of laying out the township of Mary- borough j a service that has been anxicosly called for by the settlers in that locality.

THE HOSPITAL.-On Sunda./ last the Rev. J. Wallace preached a sermon in St., John's Church, North Brisbane, in aid of the fund's of the Moreton Bay General Hospital. After sei vice a collection was made, and, with subséquent collections by the Rev. Mr. Wallace, the handsome sum of £11 3s. was raised for the benefit of the Hospital. We understand that the local ministers of other de- nominations have been solicited to exert their in- fluence with their respective congregations, for the same object, and we believ« that the request will be complied with It is to be hoped that those gentlemen will be successful in their praise- worthy eilorts, as, from the paucity of private contributions-more especially amongst the per- sons most likely to derive benefit from the insti- tution-the funds arc at a low ebb. Tins is most discouraging to those who have cxerud them- selves from the commencement of the establishment to support its interests. Many alterations and repairs of the bulldiugs are required, but the state of the funds will not permit any extra outlay. The paid officers of the institution have cheerfully consented to thercduction of their bi foi e trifling salaries, and surely the public will liol be less liberal. - i